The planning authority yesterday gave the go-ahead for the first phase of a €15.3 million EU-funded project to regenerate the 16th century Fort St Elmo.

The Grade 1 fort, built in the shape of a four-pointed star, will be restored with minimum intervention on the walls and structure.

Works will include cleaning, dismantling and rebuilding dangerous roofs; unblocking apertures; stone repair and replacement; plant disinfestations and the removal of renders, plasters and paint work.

The restoration of the fort and its use were the subject of a government development brief approved last December to “restore, regenerate and rehabilitate” Fort St Elmo into a cultural and tourist attraction to lure visitors and economic activity to the lower end of Valletta.

Restoration works will start next month and will not affect the running of the old Police Academy, which is based there. Once this academic year is over, police cadets will continue their training at the new academy that is being built at Ta’ Kandja.

The restoration is expected to be completed by March 2014, after which works on the planned military museums within the fort will start. This should be ready by the end of 2014.

Once restored, the haphazard parking area in the fort – which takes an estimated of 200 cars – will no longer exist.

With more than 58,000 people visiting the War Museum and 150,000 visitors to the Malta Experience in 2010, the military museums in the fort are expected to attract about 79,000 in 2015 and 120,000 in 2018.

Once the restoration project is completed, the fort will be handed over to Heritage Malta, which will have guardianship of this historical gem.

The heritage watchdog was heavily involved in the project, architect Ray Demicoli, whose firm is handling the project, said.

The planning authority also approved the restoration of the walkway around the structure.

Known as the Carafa enceinte, the 600-metre passageway will be open to the public and provide views of the Grand Harbour fort and Marsamxett.

Meanwhile, the planning board yesterday postponed an application to build 21 apartments in Spinola Bay together with the restoration of a Grade 2 villa and its garden.

The board asked the developers to give the planning authority’s environment directorate more information about a number of trees that would have to be uprooted.

This application was strongly contested by environmental organisation Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, which, among other things, questioned the visual integrity of the project.